Judge David Deshotels, 33rd Judicial District, administered the oath of office to Commissioner Eric Kuyper Monday evening, March 20, at the Alvin L. Nevils American Legion Post 244. Kuyper was recently appointed by Governor John Bel Edwards as a commissioner to the Louisiana Department of Veterans Affairs (LDVA).
Kuyper is the first commissioner from Allen Parish to serve on the LDVA Commission. As a commissioner, he will join eight people on the nine-person panel to advise the LDVA and Governor on matters relating to the welfare of veterans.
LDAV was created in 1944 and is headed by the Secretary of the LDAV, who is appointed by the governor. He oversees five veterans homes; five veterans cemeteries; 74 benefits and claims offices; 32 college and university campus veterans centers; the Military Family Assistance Fund; the Louisiana Veterans Honor Medal Program; and a myriad of outreach initiatives serving veterans service organizations, including homelessness and suicide prevention, women veterans and incarcerated veterans programs, according to the duties of his office. (For more information, visit www.vetaffairs.la.gov.
According to Kuyper, a commissioner is nominated by a Veteran Service Organization. In November, he was approached by Allen Dunn, commander of the state’s American Legion organization, and asked to consider becoming a commissioner. Kuyper said each organization nominates three people when a commissioner’s seat is open. From the nominations, three candidates’ names are given to the governor and Kuyper was selected for a six-year term. (Candidates should also be a resident of the state and honorably discharged from the military service.)
Kuyper said this commission is very diverse with one commissioner instrumental in women’s veterans issues and another in prison issues where veterans are incarcerated. He’s going to be the guy that knows a lot about rural issues since that’s what he’s been doing as commander of Post 244. In his speech, Judge Deshotels said Kuyper has been helping local veterans for some time now.
Kuyper will bring issues associated with rural living like internet access, securing prescriptions for veterans, getting veterans rides to doctor appointments and meetings, etc. Most of the big clinics are in the city areas, and veterans living in rural communities face different challenges than urban-living residents.
As a commissioner, Kuyper will be dealing with political issues, and as laws changed, he will be able to explain those changes to veterans here, as well as help shape the path some of these laws take in the political arena.
Kuyper said as a commissioner, he will have more resources to work with and more information at the tips of his fingers to help veterans.
In recent years, Kuyper has worked to recognize veterans, introduce veterans to the community through his annual Pancake Breakfast, assist veterans after events like hurricanes and other natural disasters and make sure local veterans’ graves are marked in cemeteries just to name a few things. As a leader of Post 244, he has changed the look of the veterans of Allen Parish and revitalized their existence in the parish. Today there are three American Legion chapters, one VFW chapter and one VVA. They have organized fund raisers and events for veterans and the community.
Commissioner Kuyper looks forward to continue bringing help and resources to, not just our parish veterans, but to the state’s veterans as well.
